(I'm passing this along from a friend on the local SCCA club,
Mike Miller (RocketSled)

Hello all,

There is legislation pending that could either make DOT-approved racing tires (stock-legal "R" tires) illegal, or at least make them so expensive that they will be virtually unaffordable to manufacture and/or purchase.

Check out http://www.hoosiertire.com/fmvsshlp.HTM
for more information.

Basically, this is a result of the Ford/Firestone delaminating SUV tire debacle.

The Department of Transportation is considering a proposal to require significantly more stringent testing of all passenger and light truck tires for vehicles under 10,000lbs. Hoosier's objection is mainly economic, citing that the increased and more stringent testing outlined in the proposal would cost them so much as to make their tires unaffordable. They also characterize their market as a small business, specialty niche, and cite the exemplary safety record for their tires.

You can read the whole story at:
http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm
(Search for Docket # 8011)

The Hoosier Tire site gives instructions on how to comment on this. I assume other high performance/specialty tire (BFG, Yokohama, Falken) makers have similar issues with the proposal. I suspect this would also apply to model-specific tires like some of the Porsche and Ferrari tires (these are not likely to affect the average Miata owner). It's an interesting insight into the tire industry to note that Hoosier wants exemptions for tires where they manufacture less than 15,000 per size!

Just another example of how SUVs are ruining our lives...

Please remove my e-mail address before forwarding this information.

Regards,
Geremy Kornreich

(Thanks to the Rocky Mountain Solo e-mail list for this alert, and the website links.)

 

damn. time to call your senator or representitive...

these people react to entirely too little information.

 

Bouncing this back to the top of the stack.

And if you think this doesn't affect you, realise that the NORMAL tires for your vette are considered a high performance-low build number item.

 

The thread refers to "R compound" tires (racing tires, such as Hoosiers, Khumo Victoracers, BFG R1s, etc) that are technically DOT street legal, but for all practical purposes, are NOT meant for the street (Hoosiers even say this on them I've been told). This does not effect major production tires, such as the Goodyear Eagle GSC.
I really want more info on this legislature. I find it interesting that Hoosier wants us all to know about this "problem" and send comments, but they don't actually mention one thing about the actual content of the bill. Hoosiers are already the most expensive autocorss tires you can get (by far). If Hoosier does get this exemption, what about larger volume race tire manuafacturers, like Khumo. They are cheaper and sell more, and if they were not allowed to market "DOT Legal" race tires this would create an unfair advantage. The other manufacturers produce a tire which is actually streetable (not as thin.. sidewalls or contact surface). Hoosier might just be hurting, being the smaller guy in the field. I don't know exactly how I feel about this except that I want more info.


[Modified by Rearview, 6:48 PM 5/24/2002]

 

:(

 

Here's some info: http://dms3000.dot.gov/docimages/pdf54/113525_web.pdf

I think their concern is not that they're being singled out, but that a series of tires that have NO history of failure are being required to undergo the testing, and that in the numbers involved it may be financially unadvisable for them to continue making tires!

 

you'd be amaized how many laws pass on half baked knowledge..i agree with the above, protest, write, problems happen anytime you manufacture anything. it's not right to restrict other people for one companies mess up.

 

The new FMVSS standards will require DOT tires to not only comply with
current standards, but to also pass a low inflation endurance test at the
end of the current DOT test sequence. The original DOT test sequence was
created back in the bias tire days of the 60's. (Yes, that's how old the
test is and it needs to be updated.) The current test sequence is a bit of
a joke. As long as the tire holds air, it will pass the test.

It is my personal belief (not Kumho's) that all of our competition tires
will pass this new test sequence. Kumho's DOT competition tires are
engineered similarly to our regular passenger tire lines. They use a
fabric for the body plies and steel for the belts. Hoosier and Goodyear
use fabric for the body plies but fiberglass for the belt material.
Fiberglass does not lend itself to long term durability. The failure mode
is usually belt edge separation. Hoosier knows their tires won't pass the
new DOT test sequence. They also do not want to re-engineer their tires
because it will cost money to do this.

I believe that the current rules of Touring, Showroom Stock, American
Sedan, and Solo should continue to require DOT legal tires now and in the
future. I am afraid that relaxing the DOT rule will allow tire companies
to design even more exotic race tire constructions in the future. It also
takes away from the spirit of the rules. It'll end up pushing the little
guys, like Kumho, out of amateur racing because we won't be able to keep up
with the competition's technology. This will lead to no one buying our
tires because no one will be able to win on them and will eventually lead
to Kumho pulling out of SCCA racing.

It's sad that Hoosier is putting the fear of increased cost to the end
consumer as a means to getting the racing community to change the current
GCR. Why is it that Kumho can offer DOT legal tires that are competitive,
have a lower price and that can possibly pass the newly proposed test
sequence? I'm sure the competition is also wondering.

Anyway, I'm just adding to the debate. The newly proposed test will be
open for comment until early June. Then the feds will come up with a
decision sometime in September and will make it effective in the next two
or three years. There's plenty of time to worry (and plenty of time for
the other tire companies to get their act together and comply).
---
Rudy Consolacion
Motorsports
Kumho Technical Center
711 S. Cleveland-Massillon Rd.
Akron, OH 44333

 

Thanks for the VERY informative additional info! Do you forsee the testing adding a lot to your costs of doing business?

I guess my biggest gripe is that this was caused, nominally, by F*rd's crappy suspension design on the last iteration of the E*plorer, requiring an underinflation of the tires to provide a comfortable driving experience.

It doesn't matter if you're Hoosier, Kumho, or BFG. You DO NOT design a Z or Y rated tire without adequate testing. The ligitation possibiliies are just too great.


[Modified by RocketSled, 2:49 PM 5/25/2002]

 

I don't work for Kumho, that was from the motorsports director, I just run their tires and know all the guys pretty well.
btw, my daily driver is one of those Ford Exploders with Bridgestones, I like to live on the edge. :lol:

 

Keep em properly filled and don't dirve like a soccermom and I suspect you'll be fine!

(Between you, me, the fencepost and all the corvette forum members I wonder how much of the aforementioned problems were driver/operator error?)

 

I too have been folowing tire technology and related regulations required for its manufacturing. I have to say that many of the regs are outdated and have to be revised. The issue with the Firestone tires that caused death and injury could have been prevented withe stricter regs and better enforcement and periodic testing. So to shoot down any effort to save lives would be very foolish. In a supply and demand type of society, we will always try to overcome hurdles to supply a product that our customers desire at any cost. Perhaps as tires evolve, some of the racing technology that we see on these R specific tires will be incorporated in to the regular production tires that sports coupes will be equipped with in the future.